Hare Krsna dear Guru Maharaja <img alt="smiley" height="23" src="http://hps-d6.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png" title="smiley" width="23" />. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!<img alt="heart" height="23" src="http://hps-d6.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/heart.png" title="heart" width="23" />
By your causeless mercy I got to put my hands and eyes, and hopefully reason, and most hopefully heart into this nice book by TKG and Garuda Prabhu. Is not an easy read with all the english words that I do not see often, so had to read with dictionary, but also not an very heavy read.
Please find down my foolish notes of the reading.
HpS - AgtSP. We also have to use a dictionary. He is using the technical language of Theologians.
~*~
Until now (Friday, July 18, 2014) I read the Introduction and chapters 1 to 3.
Maybe is one of first time I read such an academic work. Book which is made according to academia. I do not feel and have need now to comment on the book itself, just will share points that I find interesting. Actually, these are not all points that struck me, but for the reason of time I will present few.
- In connection to different studies of ISKCON – never imagined that so many studies have been done about ISKCON, albeit with discrepancies. Funny to see how a person made study of devotees by making the study of a community that is known as not up to the ISKCON standard. Also, to note that even though a person may have some talent as an academic, still that does not make him professional and fully to the point. That may be seen by many studies that had wrong approach. It reminds me of a point that whatever talent a person have, that should be used in service of Krsna, if not, it almost seems useless. I say that even though it sounds fanatical <img alt="angel" height="23" src="http://hps-d6.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/angel_smile.png" title="angel" width="23" />
- There are nice histories of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada. Incredible how a manjari comes into material world in a family of a sakta worshipers, does not approach the Vedas, all to up some point and then does an incredible work in preaching and writing.
- There is nice description of what books SP used for doing his work of writing books. The summaries of SB chapters are by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. SP starts using them from the end of 4th Canto.
- Sweet revelation by Garuda Prabhu of word ‘gauda’ and its connection to the essence of Gaudiya vaisnavism
- Description of paribhasa sutra of SB given by Jiva Goswami. What is paribhasa sutra and which verse it is.
- Nice historical account of ISKCON, and how others see/saw ISKCON
- The point how a selective out-of-context readings of topics of SP books is wrong and brings to wrong conclusion
- There is mention of Bhaktivonoda’s Dasa-mula-tattva which are then dividedinto sambhanada , abhideya and prayojana setting
- In chapter 3 (collage setting) there is astonishing expression of situation where SP describes his faith as “practically lost” due to bad association!
- Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati introduced bhakti-sastri in 1919, and there was also some kind of study called acarya
Basically, up to now, we were exploring the past of Srila Prabhupada. Now we are ready to hear about his two mahavakyas. Can’t wait to dive into the nectarean ocean.
~*~
Thank you.
Your servant Namacarya das
HpS - ASA - We read a lot of it several years ago, but we are going through more seriously now. We are still on the Introduction.
One of our very important notes is the citation on Page Four Julius Lipner. As far as I understand he is one of the top authorities in Indological studies and to be able to cite his evaluation of the book would have great weight in Indological circles. Other scholars cited are known as devotees within academic community or I don't know their social standing.
We go on, running in the dust of your progress.
